Hemmer



(No Model.)

R. W. S. MITCHELL '8v J. MURPHY.

EBMMER.

Patented Peb. 5, 1895.

INI/Ell T035 WITNESSES:

TTURNEI UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

ROBERT YESLEY STUART 'MITCHELL AND JOHN MURPHY, OF PASSAIO, ElfiT JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE VHEELER d: VILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

HEWHVIER.

SEEGFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,546, dated February 5, 1895.

Application Sled August 9,1894. Serial No. 519,809. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom zit 11i/ay concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT WESLEY STUART MITCHELL and JOHN MURPHY, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Passaic, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hemmers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such 1o as will enable others skilled in the art to which 1t appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to that class of devices which are made use of to fold the edge or edges of fabrics whereby to form a hem or hems thereon, and is used either alone or in connection with any of the different forms of sewing machines; its object being to provide a device of this class, which, while simple and comparatively cheap in construction, shall at zo the same time fold the edge or edges of the fabric in an absolutely uniform manner.

To these ends, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction of the hemmer whereby the folding of the edge of the 2 5 fabric is efciently accomplished, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification, Fig ure 1, is a rear perspective view of the attach- 3o ment complete, looking from a point above and to one side of the point of operation of a sewing machine needle. Fig. 2, a similar view, but omitting a part of the attaching arm, and showing a piece of fabric in position of fold- 3 5 ing; and Fig. 3, an enlarged end View of the hemmer looking from the rear, and indicating the fabric by dotted lines.

In the several figures, like letters of refer ence are employed to designate correspond- 4o ing parts.

Arepresents a supporting plate which is or may be provided with a slot or other suitable means whereby it may be secured to a sewing machine or other convenient support. To

this plate, and separated from it by a depending lug or spacing piece, a, which serves as a guide for the edge of the fabric as it is passed through the hemmer, is secured the guide plate B. This plate is elongated or otherwise 5o provided with au extension, b, which, in our the fabric.

preferred form of construction, is preferably nearly as wide as the distance from the edge of the fabric to the fold or crease iirst given thereto, and has or may have its corners rounded to avoid catching in the meshes of The end of this plate toward which the fabric travels, is preferably reduced in width and one edge is rounded or curved, as at b', for thepurpose hereinafter described.

The edge turner O consists of a plate of thin metal which is attached to the plate A and is bent over and under the edges of the plate B a slight distance therefrom, leaving a small space between the turner and such plate through which the fabric is passed as it is fed through the hemmer. The middle portion of the folder is preferably cut away, as at c, to form a slit by means of which the finger of the'operator may obtain ready access to the 7o fabric being hemmed to push it forward when the fabric is being inserted or otherwise, but this is not essential and may be omitted if so desired.

At the extreme rear end of the folder, or at that end from which the fabric emerges after having been folded, the metal is preferably cut away both above and below the plane of the plate B, as shown at c', to receive the presser foot of the sewing machine, when the hemmer Se is used in connection therewith. f

The side c2 of the turner, which turns the edge of the fabric under plate B is dared, as at c3, said daring portion extending partially over the rounded part b of the plate B, so as to cooperate therewith in turning said edge of the fabric, while the side c4 thereof which folds the fabric and creases it over the free edge of the plate B, is longer than the side c2, in order to obviate the tendency of the fabric 9o to creep out of the properline of fold and feed,

and is preferably flared, as shown at c5.

In the use of our attachment, the fabric is laid under the extension b of the tongue B and carried laterally of the same until its edge abuts against the lug or block a, and then passed forward through the hemmer. As it thus passes forward, the flaring portion c3 of the turner engages with the edge thereof and turns the same under the guide plate B, while zoo the portion b of the latter in front of the rounded part keeps the fabric stretched outwardly with the proper tension to insure a smooth fold. At the same time that the edge of the fabric is being thus folded, the crease forming the other edge of the hem is being formed by the cooperation of the side c* c5 of the turner, and the other side of the plate B.

XVhen the attachment is used inconuection with a sewing machine, it Willbe' secured thereto in such relation to the stitching devices that the presser foot 0f the machine will preferably enter the cut-away portion c of the turner, when the hem Will be fed to such stitching devices by the feeding mechanism of the machine in proper position to receive the line of stitching therein. lVhen, on the other hand, the attachment is used to form thevfolds of a hem Without stitching the same, the hemmer will be secured tothe sewing machine or other suitable support, or held in the hand, and the fabric, after having been passed over the plate B and through the turner C as above explained, may be drawn through the hemmer by the vhand-of the operator, or oth- I erwise, While being so guided that the edge thereof which receives the fold is held in contact with the lug or block d.

As thus constructed and. arranged, a hernmer is produced which maybe used either alone or With a sewing machine, and which, while applicable to the hemming of different kinds of fabric and articles, is especially advantageous in the folding of handkerchiefs and other articles Which are to be hemstitched With a given Width of hem.

-Vhen employed in connection with sewing ons Wayswithout departing from the spirit thereof.

Having now described our invention and specified certain of the ways in which it is or may be carried into effect, We claim- 1. A hemmer comprising in its construction the guide plate B, having one end extended with parallel edges, and having the other end provided with the curved portion b', the edge turner O bent around said plate and having the side c2 and Haring portion c3, to cooperate with the curved portion b in turning the edge ot` the fabric, and the side c4 opposite the side c2, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination with a guide plate B, and an edge turner C, bent around said plate whereby a space is formed between-them for the passage ofthe fabric, of a supporting plate, A, to which such guide plate and edge turner are secured and a guide, @,-for the edge of the fabric, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this '7th day of August, 1894,

' ROBERT WESLEltY STUART MITCHELL.

JOHN MURPHY. Vitnesses:

E. T. FLEMING, EDWARD LANNINe. 

